Mercy in the Morning
by eshesh
Summary: ONESHOT. The morning after their first night together, his needs collide with her schedule. Remus begs Tonks for mercy. Perhaps these two aren't the world's most compatible couple? Rated for language, sexual innuendo, implied sex, jelly doughnuts. RLNT


_Author's note: Originally written for the rt challenge community on Live Journal. ONE-SHOT. The morning after their first night together, his needs collide with her schedule. Remus begs Tonks for mercy. Perhaps these two aren't the world's most compatible couple? Rated for language, sexual innuendo, implied sex, jelly doughnuts. RLNT_

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**Mercy in the morning**

"Uh... unh... UNGH... AAH..." Tonks was growing steadily louder. "Oh, Merlin," she gasped.

Remus opened his eyes and looked down at her beautiful face, flushed and shining with sweat. She arched her head back, and he gazed at the soft line of her neck as she moved in a steady rhythm.

He breathed deeply, trying to get some oxygen into his fogged brain. When he was finally capable of forming a coherent sentence, he leaned closer to her and said in a cracked, pleading whisper, "Tonks. Are you almost finished?"

Tonks didn't let up her pace but panted out, "I'm close... Just shut up for a minute and let me... Oh, this is... Uh... Unh.. Mmh... Oh, it's so _hard_ ." She eyes were screwed tight as she began to pump even faster.

Remus shut his eyes again, and into his mind came an image of Tonks, her bare legs wrapped tightly around him, lifting her hips to him as he moved against her. He smiled to himself as other images, of a similar nature, made their way hazily into his thoughts.

He let his mind drift blissfully until he heard Tonks cry out again.. She must have slipped somehow, although how she could have done that in her prone position was beyond him. She muttered a quick, "Bugger!" and then, taking in a few ragged breaths, she resumed her movement. "Unh... Unghhh..."

Remus groaned and, rolling slightly to his left, clenched the edge of his pillow. He waged a short inner battle for patience and lost. He called out hoarsely, "Please, Tonks. I'm exhausted." He licked his lips and went on, "After last night, I'd like to be able to—"

Tonks grunted out, "I'm almost finished. I— Uh... Mmmh... Just a bit more... And... AHH!" Tonks flopped onto her back and sucked in deep breaths, her eyes still closed. After a minute, she pushed her hair off her damp forehead and sat up with a sigh. "Finally done. That was... bloody _awful_, as usual."

Remus sank his face into his hands, wondering how long it would be before he could decently hide under the covers and go to sleep. He muttered to himself, "Over at last." And then somewhat louder, "I promise you I was about to put this pillow over my head and suffocate myself, Tonks. Have mercy on an old man."

Parting his fingers, he looked through them rather blearily. From his position on the bed, Remus could see Tonks sitting cross-legged on her bedroom floor. Her brief outfit, made from some kind of shiny, form-fitting material, was definitely far too bright for this hour. He croaked out, "Is it even dawn, yet?"

She scooted closer to him with a cheery grin and pushed the large handweights she'd been using under the bed. "It's nearly six in the morning. I must say, Remus, if I'd known you were going to nag like this, I'd never have asked you to stay the night. _Have mercy,_" she mimicked, and then snorted, "Honestly!" She pulled his hands away from his eyes and kissed him on the nose. "Wotcher, sleepyhead."

Pushing himself down further under the duvet, Remus responded groggily, "And if _I'd_ known you were intending to do calisthenics at this hour of the—morning, you called it?—I'd never have taken you up on it." He grunted and gave her a weak grin. "Not true, of course." It was hard to be courteous on only a few hours of sleep, but he thought he should give it another shot. "Tonks, last night was..." He paused as his sleep-deprived brain balked at supplying him with a suitably chivalrous adjective.

Sitting next to the bed, Tonks rested her chin on the mattress next to his head. "Spectacular? Brilliant? Fantastic? Amazing?" she suggested, a smile lighting up her all-too-perky face.

"Mm. All of the above. No question about it." He reached out and lazily ran his hand through her hair and down her rather damp neck, where he could feel her pulse still beating rapidly. She leaned her cheek against his hair with a sigh of contentment. Normally he loved to look at her, could hardly stop looking. At the moment, however, his eyes seemed to insist on shutting, so he gave in. His voice rumbled in his chest as he said, "Tonks, when you invite someone to sleep with you, sometimes a bit of, er, _actual_ sleep is pleasant as well."

Tonks laughed into his hair, "I'll remember that. Next time, eh?"

"I'm not sure yet if I've survived _ this _time, Tonks." One part of his mind cheered at the words "Next time." He hadn't been entirely certain last night whether Tonks had had any intentions beyond some sort of casual one-night tryst. Another part of his mind, and no doubt the more rational part, loudly urged caution. After all, this was a woman who apparently thought nothing of leaping out of bed at arse o'clock in the morning for a merry hour of weight training.

However, there was time to think about that later. Her breath was ruffling his hair and, despite the early hour, he felt wonderful, in a dazed sort of way. It brought back more memories of last night's... _Mmm. Best not to think of that now. Sleep. Yes. Definitely sleep. _ He murmured, "I must say I had absolutely no suspicion that you were the sort of person to bound from your bed with a jolly cry, so to speak, before sunrise. That execise routine... What's the point of it? I mean to say, you already seem to have muscles on your muscles."

She poked him, and said sharply. "And what's wrong with muscles?"

He continued hastily, "Nothing at all. I'm sure no one respects and appreciates your muscles more than I do, especially after last night." She gave a puff of laughter, and he felt her kiss his cheek. She was in fact, quite amazingly strong for her size. Last night, when she'd pinned him to the settee, for instance... He felt sleep dragging him down as he mumbled, "Just don't see why you needed be up so early this morning, of all mornings. And making that godawful racket."

"What do you mean 'of all mornings'? Why should this morning be any different?" She paused. "Oh. I see. Because of you? Us? Last night?"

"No, I don't mean that, exactly. Or I do, but... We were up half the night, Tonks, and—" He suddenly yawned hugely. He was beginning to understand how sleep deprivation could be used as torture. "It's hard for me to present a cogent argument on less than three hours of sleep. It's just— do you ever, um, have a lie in?" Remus hitched the duvet up over his head and wrapped his arms around his pillow

She repeated incredulously, "Have a _lie in_?" as if it were a highly improper suggestion indeed, and one she'd never heard before. "No, never! I have my routine, and it's—" She gave a frustrated huff. "See here, Remus. I don't mean to be rude, but— Erm. Let me start again. Last night was great. More than great, really. And as to being up half the night, I believe that was you?" She peeked briefly under the covers and waggled her eyebrows at him. "Old man?"

"I give you the credit for that, Tonks."

Tonks prodded him through the bed covers. "Thanks. But what I wanted to say was— Put it like this: I didn't spend three years trying to get you into bed." She giggled. "Matter of fact, that took no time at all, did it? But I spent at least that long training to be an Auror. Longer, if you count school. My yearly recertification is coming up, and I need to be in top shape. You wouldn't believe the physical tests they put you through. So I don't change my workout schedule for anything. Or for anyone." She squeezed his shoulder apologetically under the duvet.

From beneath the covers, he answered, "Understood... Absolutely. Forewarned and all that." He yawned again. "But as you seem to be finished, can I go back to sleep now? I'd love for you to join me."

"Can't. Sorry. I've my run to do and then I need to be at the Ministry in an hour. I have my morning scheduled, you see? Just enough time now for my run, a shower, and a quick bite to eat. I'll tell you what, though. You asked for mercy, so how's this? I'll bring you some breakfast on my way back. What would you like?

Her voice reached him through the mist of sleep, and it wasn't until she poked him and called out, "Remus?" that he realized she still wanted him to talk.

"Hrmm?"

"I said, what can I bring you for breakfast?"

"Oh. Er. How about a jelly doughnut and a coffee?"

"A _jelly doughnut_?!" She sounded aghast, and he reflected that for a person of such eccentric morning habits, she had a nerve reacting this way to such sound suggestions as having a bit of a lie-in and then eating sugary deep fried dough. Serious consideration was warranted before starting a relationship with this madwoman.

But Tonks was gabbling on again. "Remus, we really should get you into a heathier routine. Doughnuts aren't very good for you." She paused. "Not but what you haven't got decent stamina for someone your age already, but... Well, there's always room for improvement, isn't there? How about this? You could come out with us some morning, me and my running partner." She pulled away from him suddenly and exclaimed "Oh, shite! And he'll be here any minute. I've got to get my trainers on. But what do you say, Remus? Like to try it someday?"

This time he really wasn't going to answer. _ Sleep,_ his mind insisted. _Now. _ Dimly he heard her repeat, "What do you say, Remus?" He let out a hopeful snore.

She chuckled and gave the top of his head a light kiss. He heard her begin to fumble with her shoes.

A moment later, a knock sounded at the door. "Coming, Vince!" shouted Tonks. She muttered about a knot in her laces.

The knock came again, louder this time.

"COMING, I SAID!" Her feet pounded across the floor and he heard her throw the door open and say, "Don't get in a tizz, mate. Just tying on my trainers."

A male voice said, "Behind schedule, Tonks. Let's get going." A brief pause, and then, "Hey, d'you have someone in there?"

As the door closed, he heard her answer, "Yeah. Real nice bloke. Might come running with us one day."

Remus smiled as he fell asleep, dreaming of jelly doughnuts.

_End._

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**_Note: I hope you enjoyed this. I'm new to writing fan fiction and adore even the shortest reviews. Please let me know what you think!_**


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